Development of design methodology for a synthetic jet actuator array for flow separation control applications

This article documents the development of synthetic jet actuator array hardware to augment high-lift system effectiveness in a wind tunnel model. The study involved the design, manufacture and bench test of a synthetic jet actuator array based on an inclined actuator configuration to reduce volume installation requirements without a loss in jet velocity relative to a non-inclined baseline model; incorporation of proper synthetic jet actuator systems wiring and internal synthetic jet actuator chamber pressure-sensing for actuator health monitoring. The peak velocity obtained from the inclined synthetic jet actuator array was 100 m/s, which favourably compares to the baseline array (∼90 m/s), while reducing the usable depth requirements by 50%. The final outcome of this study has been to apply the design lessons learned to develop a methodology for designing a synthetic jet actuator array with the constraints of using piezoelectric-based actuator technology for flow separation control applications.